


Phenomenon

by Karratran



Series: Contamination [1]
Category: Free!
Genre: AMBIGUITY IS INTENTIONAL, Alternate Universe - Dystopia, M/M, Multi, Slow Build, eventual makogou, it's a play of my personal biggest fears, possibly disturbing content, there will be angst, will update tags as I go
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-23
Updated: 2015-10-05
Packaged: 2018-03-18 10:21:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,657
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3566111
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Karratran/pseuds/Karratran
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>All freedom fighters, let's unite us,<br/>Switch on your nitrous and let's go.<br/>Surround invasion, with communication,<br/>Move quick, we might avoid contamination.<br/><em>-Phenomenon</em> by <em>Thousand Foot Krutch</em></p><p> </p><p>  <b>NOTICE: fic currently on hiatus. I'm sorry I suck at producing content, but I'm not in a nice space of mind. I'm working on it tho, so don't worry.</b></p>
            </blockquote>





	1. End of the Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> As per usual, I ~~abused the use of~~ used songs as titles ~~and I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing~~. And if you know me, then most songs fit only because of the title. However, there will be some that actually have some really interesting lyrics.
> 
>    
> -Thanks a shitton to [Aenya](http://archiveofourown.org/users/TheGirlOnFandoms/pseuds/TheGirlOnFandoms) for all the brainstorms we survived and all the plot bunnies we bred. I really couldn't have done this without you.  
> -Another bunch of "thank you"s and hugs and kisses and a Shrine to [Quasi-senpai](http://archiveofourown.org/users/ellerean/pseuds/ellerean) for helping me with the beta-ing!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Playlist for this chapter~: [Here](https://8tracks.com/karra-ymzk/phenomenon-chapter-1)
> 
> ~~Don't judge my taste, I actually liked how these fit.~~
> 
> I should mention: AMBIGUITY IS INTENTIONAL. :D

** [Archived Dossier: Phenomenon. **

**Document 1: End of the Beginning.**

 

**_Excerpt 1: Don’t even try, you’re Wasting time._ **

**It happened in the year 2031 AD.**

**All the people who had worked on the space programs like the NASA and the SETI, all those who made the satellites, who worked on the Space Stations, all those who looked at the sky inside those gargantuan telescopes. Every single one of them realized just how much of a _joke_ all that “be alert” crap was. How stupid they had been, looking at the sky when they could have been looking underneath the surface of the oceans and the crust of Earth. That they believed the menace would come from above, and not from right underneath their feet.**

**So much preparation and so much wasted effort, for what? For nothing.**

**It started as a gas, denser than breathable air. The first event was the Boil: bubbles and bubbles emanating from within the ocean and geysers of “ _warm air_ ”—stupid politicians trying to hide the facts in plain view—rising from the depths of Earth. Poisoning life. Destroying. Eroding. Polluting.**

**Mutating.]**

 

Probably Hell wasn’t as bad as this… wreck.

Heck, even kid's nightmares weren’t as half as bad.

His head pounded harshly. He hadn’t even tried to open his eyes because he knew it would only make it worse. After all, it wasn’t the first time this had happened. Nor the last.

Oh, yes, there were many more to come. It was the after-effect of the antidote.

It might be his biased opinion, but somehow, the antidote felt worse than the poison itself.

Understandably, in order to be saved the antidote had to work immediately—harshly—otherwise, you’d be dead meat in less than three hours. You needed to sweat it out as fast as possible, and a sudden acceleration of your metabolism meant a lot of stress, pain, and goo-like sweat. It was decidedly _not_ pretty. But it worked. _But_ , only on people like him.

The Gas poisoned you slowly and painlessly, at least until your lungs stopped working. Dying of a pulmonary arrest was rather painful—if you were conscious enough—but it was quick, so it didn’t really count as a painful death.

It was a notion every soldier was well aware of since everyone at least once nearly died of it.

It also meant that everyone longed to be embraced by Death at some point. In this hell, they weren’t _living_ ; they were merely _surviving_. It was quite enough to make them want to bail, because who would want to live a life they didn’t enjoy?

The cycle of getting poisoned by the Gas and then cleansed by the antidote was bad enough to make them wish they’ve been killed by the BUGs instead—the worst way of going out, in the higher-ups' opinion—since it was quicker and it meant you were willing to sacrifice your life for the greater good. It made it seem welcoming because even after years of being subjected to that endless cycle, they never got used to the pain. No one ever did.

As soon as the pain of the antidote died out, all that was left was exhaustion. It got so bad that most of the time soldiers passed out on the Infirmary’s beds. It was rare that they ever managed to get to the barracks. They were just too far away.

At least the Gas wasn’t as bad for them as it was for the normal people back in the Colonies because it didn’t fuck those people up, it just killed them. The soldiers were already fucked up.

It was all just a pain in the butt.

And Haruka hadn’t wanted to be saved.

 

**[ _Excerpt 2: Harmageddon._**

**All smaller life forms—animals and even plants—started to mutate. The gruesome changes cost them their lives. Thousands of wildlife species gone—extinct—in less than ten years.**

**Many of those who were living through the Boil suffered from a strange Illness. At first, scientists compared the Illness to lead poisoning. Except there was no lead. And it was worse.**

**The changes varied in direct proportion to Gas exposure. The longer you were exposed and the more concentrated the Gas was the worse it got.**

**Hair loss, nails falling off, blindness by cataracts, deafness by hardened eardrums, bone decalcification, anemia, kidney damage, cancer, lung alveoli destruction, nerve axon demyelization, powerful cramps and spasms, reduced IQ, shedding skin, bleeding throats because they never stopped screaming…**

**Once the first symptoms settled, there was no hope. There was nothing anyone could do. Even after years and years since the first event of the Boil, the so-called scientists could do nothing. They were absolutely powerless.]**

 

But he understood.

Hell, he knew exactly _why_ Kisumi had saved him.

 _He didn’t want to be left alone_.

Sure, if Haruka died, then Kisumi would still have Makoto—he even got along better with Makoto than with Haruka—and probably one of those teamless guys could fill his spot. He wasn’t absolutely necessary. He was just convenient.

But after nearly eight years of sharing mind space whenever Makoto linked them in training and on the field, and physical space (why the hell was Kisumi _so clingy_?) he knew, the three of them were practically family by now.

The only _real_ family Haruka had known.

Back inside the Colony, he lived with his mother and his grandmother. It was a quiet little life, but it was empty. His mother was always so… foreign, a stranger, to him. She avoided him as much as she could. His grandmother was nice and warm and showed him the love his mother neglected, but sometimes, when she thought Haruka wasn’t looking, her smile would fade and she would turn cold… From time to time, he could even feel her icy stare when he had his back to her.

Haruka knew why, though.

He looked like _his father_.

His parents had divorced when he was little, so long ago he couldn’t remember anything about the man, even though he showed up from time to time. _Annually_ , when Haruka had his summer break.

Ultimately, even his mother left. There were too many painful memories. That man's presence remained in the house he used to live in.

And then getting Recruited had been quite the shock. He hadn’t even had time to register what had happened since the moment he Presented as a Phenomenon child.

He just knew that all the water pipes of his school burst coincidentally the same moment he had an anger fit when a kid had been too insistent on calling Haruka names related to his family status. And more so about his absent parents, about his absent father.

Haruka hadn’t cared any less for the man, yet, he’d still managed to hurt him.

So he just snapped.

Next thing he knew, Haruka had been locked up in the Principal’s office to wait for men in military uniforms to arrive. They took custody of him and shoved him into a room full of kids looking just as confused as he felt.

It was that day when he got informed of what he was: a freak at the disposal of the Military. He himself was unimportant—nearly disposable—but they wanted _what_ he was.

And it was reiterated every time he was thrown into the Training rooms to get a grip on his Ability. To them, he was just a document full of graphs and numbers. Freaks weren’t people, just freaks. Just weapons.

 

**[ _Excerpt 3: Pandemonium._**

**Scientists and engineers made a plan to protect healthy people and animals and the plants that had been grown from the seeds stored in that place in former Alaska from the Gas. They built large domes like greenhouses, with air filters all around. It worked while the only enemy was gas.**

**However, all the people who had died of Gas poisoning, so many millions, started to wake.**

**If you thought seeing a human body shedding its skin was horrible… well, seeing them transform into… gruesome _monsters_ , could most likely be your worst nightmare. Or at least, everyone who witnessed the Awakening thought it was exactly _that_.**

**These beasts had no resemblance to humans. No one could think of a name for them.**

**The Domes were nothing against them.]**

 

His only friend—annoyingly nice, caring, wishy-washy Makoto—was still safely within the Walls. It was the only thing that eased his heart. After learning what Presenting was, Haruka definitely did not want Makoto to Present. Someone as good-natured as him would only end up broken by the inhuman ways Freaks were treated.

Two or three months after Haruka had Presented—just as he had finally managed to burst one pipe out of five in the Training Room—Makoto stood in the middle of the barrack Haruka was assigned to, crying his kind green eyes out in confusion.

If things had been bad before that, then they just started to go faster downhill.

Makoto did not deserve this. _He did not deserve **this**_.

What little hope still stood inside his heart, was easily smothered by the raw desperation and rage and sadness he felt.

And shortly after—about another two months—the most exasperating, obnoxious, clingy, strawberry blond _runt_ came along. He had already been Recruited, but only started to hang out with them at that point.

No matter how much Haruka tried to avoid him, no matter how much Haruka ignored him, no matter how much Haruka beat him down in the Training rooms, he couldn’t wipe that shit-eating grin from Kisumi’s face; he couldn’t get rid of him, couldn’t stop him from hanging all over him. And it was really grating on Haruka’s nerves.

He wanted to kick his face _so bad_. And when he finally got to do it—nearly five months after Recruitment—it turned out the kid had an Endurance the magnitude of the Walls. _Not a single scratch_.

Haruka nearly blew a fuse.

But, it was nothing short of _unbearable_ when Makoto Linked them for the first time. It was around a year after having been Recruited.

Because everything he thought he knew about Kisumi was a _lie_. Kisumi wasn’t a happy kid. Kisumi wasn’t an ignorant. Kisumi was decidedly _not_ all sunshine and smiles.

Kisumi was—perhaps— _just as_ sad and angry as Haruka, if not more. He had been torn from his family, from his baby brother. And now he would never see them again.

And worst of all, Makoto was the same. Torn from his parents, torn from his baby twin siblings. Torn from his peacefully blissful life.

It felt like a stab to his heart with a rusty, dull knife that hurt so bad Haruka had to forcibly break the Link and flee to the closest bathroom to hurl what little he had eaten that day.

As a silent agreement, the three of them decided not to speak of the incident.

And Kisumi learned that it wasn’t a good idea to cling to Haru. At least _not so much_.

 

**[ _Excerpt 4: Devil in the mirror._**

**However… Forty-three years after the Boil, children of approximately ten years of age started to exhibit certain… abilities. _If_ they were lucky.**

**Most of these children died when their own genetics failed to sustain the Mutation. Well… they didn’t exactly _die_. Their mutation converted them into monsters. It was the police forces—what little remained—who _killed_ them. After all, the Mutation was nothing more than the mixing of human DNA with the organic components provided by the Gas itself. And no one wanted monster waste _inside_ the Colonies.**

**Scientists painfully realized the chilling reality: the Gas was but the spores of decaying alien fossil, pressurized underneath the crust of the Earth, and only released after a series of tremors and earthquakes in response to said pressure, thus, expressing into the Boil.**

**Those few children who were able to Mutate successfully were called The Phenomenon.]**

 

“Are you awake, Haruuu?”

Clearly, someone Upstairs did not like Haruka.

“I know you are! Come ooon, let’s go!” Kisumi yanked on his arm lightly. How was he already up and running as if nothing had happened? Why had this idiot been granted with Enhanced Endurance, Haruka would never know. Resilient moron.

“…Too loud, shut up.” Haruka mumbled, his head still pounding. His throat felt slightly raw. He frowned.

“Heh! I bet you’re starving. It’s been over twelve hours since the last time we ate. I know _I_ am.” That explained the stiffness he felt; he’d been passed out nearly ten hours. “C’mon, you’ll miss the mackerel of the cafeteria.”

…What?

His stomach ached in its emptiness. The prospect of a fine fillet of mackerel was making him drool. It had been too long since the last time he had some.

Haruka ventured opening an accusing eye. It stung as light filtered through into his retinas. “Liar,” he said, flinching slightly, grateful it didn’t hurt as much to open his eyes as it would have had it been five hours earlier.

“Do you know me for lying?” Ah, there it was: that stupidly condescending smile. It felt as if he knew something Haruka didn’t, and it unnerved him.

Haruka moved sluggishly, and Kisumi made fun of his disgrace.

The training and physical conditioning rooms were on the way to the cafeteria. It made sense: you needed the energy provided by food to exercise; you needed to eat when you woke up on the Infirmary; if you got injured while exercising you went to the Infirmary. Basic strategy. Or simply _common sense_.

The cafeteria and the barracks were the farthest from the Main Gate because the last thing you wanted was a BUG breach anywhere near your idling areas. However, it was the opposite with the Infirmary and training rooms along its derivates. You wanted them the closer to the Gate standing between Base and out on the field. The Gear storage room was located next to the Gate—for obvious reasons.

When Haruka and Kisumi passed the second Physical Conditioning Room, they caught a glimpse of Makoto on the treadmill. Not that he needed it. Linkers were not allowed to be outside Base—unless their team partners were sent out so far away that they left the Linker’s range of sentience, or were on a specific mission.

And although Haruka’s team was probably the best in the Base and could most likely easily take the rare missions—not just the duty of defending the Walls but actually preventing attacks—they tried to remain close to it, tried to keep Makoto safe within it.

Of course, it wasn’t as if he was an eye sore—quite the contrary; “let him bulk up all he wants!” in Kisumi’s words—and coupled with his kind personality, he was one of the most desired men within Base.

Quite hilarious that each of the three members of Team Storm excelled in something. Makoto excelled in his looks, Kisumi in his humor. Haruka excelled in being silent. And it had been those assets that had gotten the higher-ups to notice them.

…Or at least, that’s how Kisumi liked to joke about them.

Because, even if they didn’t like it—even if they were reluctant to risk their lives—they _were_ the elite of Iwatobi Base. The name they had been given as a team was not just for show.

They were _quite the Storm_.

 

**[ _Excerpt 5: We don’t belong._**

**The remaining Army members from pre-Boil times thought it would be extremely beneficial to train the children of the Phenomenon in martial arts to fight off the monsters. The leaders of the Colonies readily agreed. Mostly in fear of the possibility of the children’s genetics failing them and redirecting their mutations into something worse.**

**The people in the Colonies started to fear the children who manifested signs of Mutation.**

**It was around that time that architects, engineers, and scientists—after heated sessions of _begging on their knees_ with the Colonies’ leaders—began building enormous Walls around the Colonies, Walls so tall and so thick that the dense poisonous Gas couldn’t reach the top nor filter into the Colonies. And if the Gas could not reach, then the monsters could less. After all, they couldn’t thrive without it.]**

 

There was still more mackerel than Haruka could eat in one sitting. Probably because not everyone liked eating fish.

Such waste. Fools.

Bah, whatever. Better for him if it meant he could have more than one serving.

Haruka took a bite and frowned, but kept eating.

Even if it tasted like crap when it wasn’t prepared within the Walls, mackerel was still his favorite food. He’d soldier through the foul taste any day.

One way to make it easier for Haruka to have Kisumi around was to make him eat something he really liked. It made him shut up for a few minutes. But Haruka had no such luck.

The other way was having Makoto Link them, but it only worked for the first twenty seconds and after five minutes. When all the combined mental load of the three settled, having both Kisumi and Makoto literally in his head was plain annoying since they could easily probe inside his brain. At least it was good that Makoto did the information relay. But once he and Kisumi were outside Base, Kisumi was blessedly quiet.

And the yet another way was to have Makoto _with_ them. Since he was more amicable, Kisumi simply gravitated towards him with ease, and then it was easy for Haruka to simply ignore them. Because who better than Makoto to know exactly what crossed Haru’s mind and get Kisumi off his back?

Of course, it wasn’t as if Haruka hated Kisumi, much less Makoto. It wasn’t as if it didn’t feel good to have someone else inside his head to ward off the loneliness. And it most definitely wasn’t as if he wasn’t grateful to have both in his life. They could sometimes be a pain in the butt, but they were family. What's more, they had chosen him; it wasn’t as if he had been imposed in their lives, they just came together and stuck together.

Having friends was sometimes easier than having a family.

And what better that those friends became your family? They might annoy him, but he didn’t reject them.

It was a thousand times better to be comfortable and be himself than have to pretend to like someone and go out of his way to please them. Too much effort.

“You know, Haru, since we’re having an infestation close to Base, General Sasabe sent a request for some backup,” Kisumi mused.

“Good, less work for us.” Haruka curtly replied.

“Aw, come on, don’t be like that, Haru!”

Haruka sighed; even though he wasn’t looking at Kisumi’s face, he could nearly feel the pout in his words. Give it two more seconds, and he’ll be beaming again.

“There are going to be a lot of new people, isn’t that cool?” Yep, there it was: the bubbly energy.

Too troublesome.

“They’ll be coming from the Samezuka Base and the Sano Base. Can you believe that?” In the lack of response from Haruka, Kisumi sedately continued as if he hadn’t been waiting for it. “Maaan, that brings back some memories! I wonder if some of my buddies from Sano Presented…” Haruka knew Kisumi had been in Iwatobi on some family vacations when he Presented, but as a general rule, kids that Presented were sent to the closest Base, despite whether they actually lived nearby or were just passersby's.

And just because Haruka couldn’t care less, it didn’t mean he didn’t know about other Bases. Those two specifically were famous for having a large assortment of Abilities. It was rare to find two kids with the same type of Ability, but they happened to have not just some, but several. It was probably a chaos to have them all crammed inside a base the average size—like Iwatobi—especially because it was from around those areas that the most number of kids Presented, so those bases had the largest populations.

If they were sending the reinforcements from those bases, it was most likely because they needed to have a bit more personal space. And the Iwatobi Base had aplenty.

“I’ve heard that the teams that’ll be coming are more than decent. Who knows, maybe you’re right and we won’t have too much of a workload!”

“I wouldn’t be too confident. It is an infestation we have to deal with, you know?” The smooth voice of Makoto interjected.

“Done exercising?” Haruka asked without turning around or stop eating.

“Mmh!”

Again, Kisumi’s pout was nearly sensible, and this time, Haruka was more than pleased.

“Oh, you got mackerel, huh? That’s good. I was sure it’d be finished by now.”

Oh, you fiend.

“No, not everyone likes it. Shame, they should, it’s very healthy.”

Both Kisumi and Makoto laughed. Haruka didn’t need to read their minds to know that they thought the same thing. _What a nerd!_

Haruka hid his tiny smile with a sip from his cup of tea.

 

**[ _Excerpt 6: Northern lights._**

**The children of the Phenomenon gained control over their abilities. In addition, their bodies showed strong proficiency in hand-to-hand combat thanks to their enhanced muscular strength and bone mass. They presented a larger amount of red cells in their blood, a mechanism to hold larger quantities of oxygen while being surrounded by the toxic air outside the walls. Although their brain structure itself did not present any discernible change, their brain pathways did show certain alterations: their IQ rose to levels competing with those of the best strategists.**

**All in all, the children became ideal weapons against the defective branch of the Mutation, against the monsters.**

**It was then that the new Army started to use official names and acronyms.]**

 

After eating, they went into one of the Training Rooms.

Makoto was already a bit tired, so he helped them by getting them water and keeping Kisumi’s attention off Haruka.

Haruka didn’t particularly like to exercise. At least, not dry training. If it was up to him, he’d spend the rest of his life inside the secret pool he found a couple years ago.

It was the kind of safe haven Haruka’s heart needed: Quiet, solitary, compatible with his Ability. A place where he could be free.

It was, for lack of a better word, _perfect_.

He hadn’t told anyone about it. Not even Makoto.

Only during the time his team slept—when the attacks were few and other teams could take care of them—he would go and take a dip. It helped him let go of his pain, of his memories, of the ties that weighed him down.

In the water, there was no right or wrong, nor need to be other than himself. He could find solace in the solitude the water provided, where no one could judge him. And Haruka longed to go there, but alas, we can’t have everything. It was a lesson everyone learned in due time. And Haruka found ways to cope with the lack of pool time.

So, instead of keep trudging on the treadmill, he headed to the other Training room, the one with reinforced walls—the one with no furniture or training aides: Training Room One.

There were some sprinklers on the ceiling.

Haruka burst them as usual—in a way that didn’t damage the pipes. And it started to rain down on Haruka.

He stood in the middle of the room, feeling the water soaking him and rolling down on his body. Felt the drops falling and hitting the floor, flowing down it and into the drain. Haruka could even make out the pathways the water took through the pipes. He could feel all the water within the fifteen-meter radius with little focusing. If he really concentrated, he could feel and manipulate up until the twenty six meter radius. The water within the pipes, the humidity of the air, the sweat of those who were working out in the other Training Rooms, the amount of water within their bodies.

The scientists that keep track of their advancement in the Training Rooms and in the Infirmary had told Haruka that if he really worked hard, he could manipulate the water within a body, the water in their blood, the water inside their cells. But not only was working hard too much trouble for him, Makoto had nearly had a heart attack when Haruka told him about that. While he didn’t need Makoto’s negative, it was good to have some back up for your own answer.

Every time Haruka did this kind of training, he remembered that ancient movie they sometimes played in the Game room, in the barracks, where the man danced in the rain. Ancient, because it was already old when the Boil happened, and everything from that time was already very old. Like, nearly a hundred and fifty years old since the Boil? Anyway, it was one of the few movies that caught his eye momentarily.

Haruka snorted.

And then, he began training the way he enjoyed it the most.

Manipulating the water that fell from the sprinklers, manipulating the flowing of the water on the floor, on the walls, in the pipes, moving so swiftly and so fluidly that Kisumi called it “dancing” and Makoto called it “being the water.” Both suited Haruka just fine.

Soon after Haruka had started training like that, after Makoto and Kisumi started telling everyone what they thought of it, he received the nickname of “Water Dancer.” And while Haruka couldn’t really care less, it felt oddly refreshing to be considered some sort of water sprite.

Heh. Well, he had already been called Sprite since little after Recruitment.

 

**[ _Excerpt 7: Forgotten children._**

**The monsters were called BUGs, _Boil-resulting Uncanny Ghouls_.**

**The children of the Phenomenon became the BEC, _BUG Extermination Corps_.**

**Their exponential success gained them nothing but fear. The people of the Colonies exiled the children to the outsides of the Walls, where they built their bases embedded in the Walls.]**

 

While training was energy taxing, being in the water gave Haruka energy. It healed him—one good reason for him to do this training every time he woke up in the Infirmary, because, even if he spent hours inside that Training Room, he wouldn’t come out exhausted. It was convenient in case an attack happened. That way he wouldn’t be too tired to fight to his fullest. Or at least just enough to not get himself killed.

He let the water wash over him, letting his mind wander off the things that disturbed his peace. Letting the past wash away.

Although he was not completely done, another soldier banged on the door, demanding to use the room. Haruka sighed and went to the door and pressed the switch to turn off the sprinklers located next to it.

He waited until the water had completely gone down the drain, and what little puddle remained, he moved it himself in order to leave the room dry—against his better judgment—and finally opened the door and left the room.

The BUG Proximity Alarm went off.

Haruka sighed again and headed to the Gear storage room, knowing Makoto and Kisumi would soon join him. What good would it do if he didn’t get on with it himself? He’d only get dragged there by them.

He opened his locker to pull out his Gear. Then, after stripping down to his underwear, he put on his Gas Mask and the Acid-Resistant skintight suit before placing his clothes inside his locker.

Then, he waited for his Team at the Main Gate, waited for Makoto to start the Link, waited for Kisumi to prompt him into the pre-chamber—where the breathable air was removed and replaced with Gas.

And out he was.

 

**[ _Excerpt 8: Hopeless._**

**They thought they were winning.**

**Oh, how wrong they were.**

**It was only the end of the beginning.]**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the continuation of an AU I thought up since a while ago, and only gave a teaser for the RHweek, back in November.
> 
> There are a lot of things that don't quite fit with the original idea—you can call it a remake—because not only a lot of time has passed, but also because I have cemented the idea and developed to what it is now. And I think it's better, personally. It's up to you to decide.
> 
> Anyway, this whole AU idea was born when I saw [THI](http://bwubwuart.tumblr.com/post/71645576339/i-thought-that-i-should-just-put-them-together) [IIS](http://bwubwuart.tumblr.com/post/97560217287/since-i-wont-make-another-long-post-of-free). I mulled over the thought of "I wonder what was the idea behind these..." and couldn't keep my mind from going places, and after a month, I had the basic idea. I started to share it with some friends irl, and then BAM RHweek came along and HOLY S*** I had to write this. So, technically speaking, this is a—maybe—eight month old idea.
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> **SMALL PS: All the little things that appear to be inconclusive, loose ends and etc., IT WAS DELIBERATE ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)**


	2. War of Change

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Playlist for chapter [**HERE**](https://8tracks.com/karra-ymzk/phenomenon-chapter-2)~
> 
> Again, AMBIGUITY IS INTENTIONAL.
> 
> Thanks a ton to [Quasi-senpai](http://archiveofourown.org/users/ellerean/pseuds/ellerean) for helping me with the beta!
> 
> You'll reach a point where you'll have a question. When you reach that point (trust me, you'll know when), please head to the end notes!

**[Document 2: War of Change.**

**_Excerpt 1: We Are The Resistance._ **

**All the great nations and small countries realized that petty rivalries and enmity were a waste of time and life and that a joint effort to ward off the Gas was in dire need. By the time the Domes were first built, the world was not just a bunch of separate countries at war but a United Alliance.**

**Information, designs, plans, discoveries, experiments, technology, everything, free to be shared among every Colony of the Alliance.**

**And when the Awakening happened, every person that lived within the Colonies was reminded of the need to remain united. Every Colony was a friend of the next, and together, the Alliance built the great Walls that surrounded the Colonies. Of course, with the coaxing of scientists who foresaw the need.**

**While every former country had its own language and culture, its own social structure, it took only a few decades for the Alliance to form a common language with which every Colony across the world could communicate amongst each other without issues. It was a mishmash of words, accents, grammar structures, and rules of all the languages in the world that bled into it. Shortly, its use extended to everyone in the trading and communication departments of every Colony, and even in the exchange of soldiers.**

**World cooperation was a _must_.]**

 

Who the hell thought it was a good idea to shove three teams from Samezuka and three from Sano into one of the farthest and poorest Bases the Colony had? Sure, every Colony of the Alliance needed to have enough soldiers to be able to fend off the BUGs, but was it really necessary to send these many groups there? Well, it wasn’t as if the other two Bases were going to lack much in their absence. Except some hours of sleep, since Rin’s team was the one that kept the BUGs at bay most of the time. And probably some soldiers.

Rin sighed. It wasn’t as if they could say no. A Base in need was a Base in need. And they had to obey direct orders from their—now former—General to go and supply assistance to the—currently trashed by an infestation—Iwatobi Base.

Hopefully, the infestation Iwatobi was dealing with was more than just Er Gui. Hopefully, there were going to be Ekek. There better be some of those bastards. Anticipation sent spikes of adrenaline rushing down Rin’s veins.

Rin was most likely the only solder who enjoyed his life as a soldier, as a child of the Phenomenon.

And perhaps the second place was a tie between Sousuke and Yuu. But only because they did suffer poisoning and, as far as Rin could tell, it wasn’t pleasant. Hey, at least they had no need for the antidote as long as Rin was with them, so they kind of _had_ to enjoy their lives if they were grateful of him. And who wouldn’t enjoy Rin’s presence? It was absurd not to—proven by the fact that the other five teams, assisting techs, and accompanying Docs were already in a better mood—chatting and joking and shit—than they had been when they stepped into the wagon and started the trip of five-and-some hours from Samezuka to Iwatobi. The people who had come from Sano had arrived to Samezuka the day before, to avoid travel exhaustion—not uncommon, after all, since Sano was nearly two hours away from Samezuka.

Besides that, there was also the fact that the three of them had been together since before Recruitment, and as a plus the fact that they were recruited on the same… day… Okay, that just now soured Rin’s mood a little.

That hadn’t been a good day for any of them, much less for Yuu.

Rin shook his head in an attempt to keep such thoughts form his mind.

“So!” The all too familiar mischievous tone colored Yuu’s voice. “What do you think the people on the Base are going to be like? Are they gonna give us a warm welcome or nah?”

Well, it was a valid question.

…Kind of.

Because, as stated earlier, weren’t they going to enjoy Rin’s presence, excellent humor, and great jokes?

A slap at the back of his head told him Sousuke caught him in his train of thought.

Cheating ass.

“I damn hope they appreciate our relocation. I didn’t miss a mission just to be treated like trash,” Sousuke mused.

Yuu beamed, “Of course they’re going to! We’re _the_ elite! They’re probably going to end up making a shrine for us or something when they see us do our shit!”

Okay, wasn’t he the one who asked if they were going to like them or not? And wasn’t this moron being cheeky with that statement?

Rin snorted. Yuu wasn’t that far off from the truth, if he were to be honest with himself. And hadn’t he been doing the exact same thing—within his head, though—a few seconds ago? All three of them were well aware that if there was one thing Iwatobi was going to gain from this deal was _power_. Team Scorch was quality. It wasn’t going to be just a bunch of kids being shoved into their hands not knowing what to do at all. They were pro. They were the very best there was.

“Besides, if there’s an infestation, then there’s no way we’re going to sit and wait for them to figure out what to do with the source.” Rin smirked. “ _We_ ’ll take care of their infestation!”

Rin realized the mistake he’d made just as mop of wavy blond hair and another of startling red hair were heading his way. He’d spoken too loudly, attracting the attention of Gou and Nagisa. It was the downside of the “Rin Effect”—yes he was a dork and even named it, shut up—that everyone kind of _gravitated_ towards him. Soon, both little pests were invading his personal space—against Rei’s recommendations, who was fuming at the back of the wagon after being ignored.

 

**[ _Excerpt 2: Outlines._**

**The first generation of the Phenomenon had a uniform Ability. Everyone had Enhanced Speed, Strength, Agility, Endurance, and Intelligence.**

**However, with the passing of the generations, the Abilities started to differentiate—children weren’t developing all the abilities anymore—and some abilities even specialized.**

**Each type was given a name, depending on what the Ability consisted of.**

**If the Ability the child presented was Enhanced Speed, then the child was called a “Traveler”.**

**It was never a Given name, rather an adjective or a person who did certain activity—old professions. For example, if the Ability was Enhanced Strength, the child wasn’t called a “Samson” or a “Hercules”; the child was called a “Tamer”, as in lion tamer, someone who could fight off a lion with their bare hands.**

**It made classification of their Abilities easier.**

**And one of the least common Abilities was that of the Linkers, which was necessary for the best performance of the Teams. And since the Teams needed at least one Linker, many children ended up not having teams and had to stand down until a new Linker was recruited, or if a team member died.]**

 

Call it destiny or bad luck—or in Rin’s case, good luck. Iwatobi Base was under attack by the time the help party from Samezuka arrived, crossing the personnel door near the cafeteria. It seemed that a team or two had already been deployed.

“Wait a moment, Rin-san!” Rei called.

Great. Gou had most likely tipped him off.

“What is it, Glasses?” Rin teased in an attempt to mess with the Engineer.

As expected, Ryuugazaki’s eyebrow twitched. It was easy to see that he did not appreciate Rin’s nickname for him any more than in previous attempts. “Your equipment is not yet ready, and it will not be for a few hours more; I need to settle down to work with them. I highly recommend you do not attempt to step outside Base just yet.” He spoke with a stiff, unwavering tone.

Yep, just what Rin had thought it’d be about. The last thing he wanted was a lecture on safety when it was glaringly obvious he did _not_ need one. He never _had_.

“If these guys are running a solid Base, then they will have temporary Gear somewhere. And I will use it, mind you. So save yourself some breath and get on with the redesigning, Ryuugazaki. We’ve got this.”

“Yeah, Rei. Take a chill pill!” Yuu said. “Even if we use a tempo Gear, in the end we’ll be facing the normal amount of danger. And Rin’s got our back.” He ruffled Ryuugazaki’s hair playfully— _another_ thing that annoyed him—and laughed. “Unless we die.”

“And we won’t.” Rin injected before Rei had the chance to counter.

Sousuke had already gone to ask some non-deployed soldier while Rin and Yuu talked with Ryuugazaki about where they could find the temporary Gear. Always the efficient one.

Not two minutes later, Rin and Yuu were fitting the gas masks on their faces—the temporary Gear didn’t have the Acid-resistant skintight suit, but it wasn’t as if they needed it—as they stepped into the pre-chamber.

They closed their eyes and Sousuke placed his hands on top of Rin’s and Yuu’s heads, since physical contact made _their_ Linking easier, and stepped back out of the pre-chamber before the gate closed.

Rin smiled with the familiar feeling, like a blanket covering him being taken away swiftly, feeling his consciousness expanding, blending with Sousuke’s and Yuu’s. And he could feel by tenfold the heat Yuu’s presence always exuded, so hot Rin felt his brain had been set on fire, and the unwavering strength that Sousuke was—massive as a planet that could squash BUGs like ants under his feet.

It was always a relief to feel them within his head before a fight.

 

**[ _Excerpt 3: Inhuman._**

**One of the very first things the children were taught was that the enemy was no longer alive and that no pity, empathy, mercy, nor old bonds were going to help anyone rebuild the world.**

**The second thing was that once they started to be sent out, they were on their own. That was the reason why they spent five years being taught what to do, and how to fend on their own.**

**While no one had love for them, they were the only weapon mankind had against the monsters.]**

 

As soon as the Gate opened, Rin and Yuu set off on a sprint and charged towards the incoming horde of Er Gui. And, as if his silent prayer had been heard, there _were_ Ekek.

The fire of Yuu’s mind flared in excitement, and—just like a rocket, or a meteorite—he was flying, engulfed in flames, after having blasted an Er Gui, and reaching an Ekek. He climbed on it and pierced its head with a scorching fist. While the Ekek was falling, Yuu reached through its head and ripped the venomous sting off—the acid blood of the BUG dripping from it—and jumped off, laughing nearly as loud as his throat allowed.

Rin always wondered how Yuu had become so flexible and fast. Sure, he used the fire to propel himself like a fiery bullet—with a broken record of maniacal laugher attached—through the battlefield. Yuu’s long, inky black hair whipped wildly around while he jumped and ran and flew, his lean and flexible body moving like a cat, powerful as a tiger. That dork was _a beast_. Rin grinned.

_Sousuke, fucking asshole. Let me focus on killing BUGs, not checking out your boyfriend!!_

The buzzing in his head pissed him off. Sousuke was laughing. The prick!

_Well, I don’t get to check him out myself as much. You guys get most of the fun out there._

_Bullshit!_

Yuu’s distinctive laughter’s buzz also joined in the joke.

 _I’ll blast you both off_.

Rin growled and charged at a group of Er Gui trying to take down one of the soldiers of another Team.

As if throwing a basketball across the court, Rin reached behind him and drove his arm forward. While his arm moved, Red Matter had gathered in his hand—an amount not larger than a ping-pong ball—and threw it to the Er Gui.

It blasted like a dynamite bar on contact, blowing up the Er Gui and sending debris flying all around them.

A cackle ripped from his chest. _This_ was the life Rin enjoyed.

Ekek started to focus on him, closing in on him. Rin’s eyes half-lidded in smugness.

_Even better._

Taking advantage of their closeness—less than two meters—Rin gathered a melon sized ball of Red Matter in his hands, and set it off.

The momentary silence stirred more adrenaline in his veins.

Rin realized the temporary Gear couldn’t withstand the blast, and it had disappeared from his face. Oh, well. It wasn’t as if he even needed it; it was just protocol.

And as the excitement the three felt buzzed in their collective mind, he was sure. It came like a continued confirmation that _this_ was what they had been born for.

However, the sudden rain disoriented them.

_Rain?_

_Well, we’re closer to the bay, right?_

No, it was something else. Both Rin and Yuu knew it. It wasn’t the filthy rain—common outside the Walls—that felt like it was burning their skin. It was clean. _Clean_.

It burned the BUGs like acid.

The Er Gui kept closing in on them, and they kept fighting against them.

At some point, however, Rin noticed the silence, and not only in his mind—he couldn’t hear Yuu’s laughter. It felt odd and empty. Or maybe even beyond that.

_Hey, Yuu, bro, you okay?_

The static that came from Yuu’s presence was unnerving. A cold shiver ran down Rin’s back.

_Sousuke?_

_I don’t know, Rin. But I don’t like it._

It wasn’t as if Yuu was not okay—Rin could very clearly see him shooting out into the air, from Er Gui to Er Gui to Ekek, even in the rain. But somehow, his flames seemed different. Bigger, less contained. Angry.

Rin definitely didn’t like it, either.

Soon, the BUGs had been wiped out, at least for a while, and all the soldiers who had been outside walked back to Base.

As usual, Rin and Yuu were the last ones to head back, since they didn’t really like to be inside, and they preferred to make sure everyone else was safe within Base. But for some reason Rin could not fathom, Yuu really was angry and way too silent.

They crossed the Gate, waited until the Gas was vacuumed from the pre-chamber and replaced by breathable air, and stepped back into Base. Yuu tore off the already falling-to-pieces gasmask.

There was something uncanny about how focused Yuu seemed to be. As if he was setting his crosshairs on a prey, which definitely wasn’t a good thing. Because, although it was rare that anyone befriended someone who wasn’t in their own team, it was utterly rarer that anyone _hated_ someone from another team. And they had just arrived to this base, so there was no way Yuu had already met someone he hated.

Leaving that aside, _since when did Yuu_ hate _anyone, anyway?_

After having known the guy for so long, that was what Rin believed, that Yuu was almost incapable of hating anyone. And that seemed to be the case, until Yuu finally reached a guy with short, black hair. Yuu yanked the guy’s shoulder to make him turn around and look at him.

He then proceeded to throw a punch at his face.

 

**[ _Excerpt 4: Silver and Cold._**

**Plants were the first to mutate.**

**They shriveled and rotted until they became some kind of flaky, almost weightless, fragile crystal.**

**And when they broke—a task that was way too easy to achieve, because the smallest contact disintegrated the whole structure—all the minute flakes flew and floated and saturated the surrounding area up to one meter of diameter. Not only were the flakes were toxic, but they also broke through skin and membranes, tearing all the organs within.**

**The children of the Phenomenon were instructed to stop collecting them for the scientists who wanted to understand the Gas effects, and to stay away from the plants outside the Walls.]**

 

It did happen really fast, faster than Rin would have anticipated. Hell, he didn’t even react until Yuu was lying on the floor—which was quite the feat by itself since Yuu was pretty hard to take down.

The guy Yuu had attacked easily—unexpectedly—dodged the punch ( _the way he moved, damn!_ ) and proceeded to unbalance Yuu, pinning him down in less than three moves.

Yuu, of course, would never remain down, even after having been taken down so fluidly, and rose to his feet and pushed this other guy.

Rin, still shell-shocked, heard Sousuke’s voice by his side but didn’t comprehend the words or the inflection, much less the meaning of what he had said until he finally had a view of the guy’s face.

“ _Who the hell cloned Yuu?!_ ”

That was when it finally struck Rin.

“H-hold on, what the fuck?!” Rin’s brain froze and shocked questions were all he could actually work out.

“What are _you_ doing here?!” Yuu yelled, anger very well apparent in his tone.

“I could ask the same thing,” Yuu’s clone bit back; not quite yelling, but contained. Still sharp as a knife, though. And, holy fuck, their voices were so similar!

Rin could only watch in amazement and—let’s be honest—a bit of dread.

“I asked first!”

“I asked second, you might as well answer.”

“I don’t care!”

“Back off, _second_.”

At this, Yuu gasped sharply. And if the way Sousuke flinched was any indicator, Yuu’s pride had been severely stricken. However, he stood his ground. “ _You did not, fucker_.” His voice trembled in what Rin could easily recognize as a threat and barely contained rage.

One thing about Yuu was that he was as easy to read as a wild animal; he took a step closer to his _clone_ , puffed up his chest and extended his neck, making himself seem bigger, threatening.

But even after all that effort, the other guy was definitely not impressed or intimidated, if his blank expression was anything to go by.

“Haru, that’s enough.” A new voice called, firm but kind.

It was only at that moment that Rin noticed there was quite the crowd gathered around them.

“Oi, Yuu, stop this crap. What the hell is going on?” Rin hissed.

The one who had spoken to the kid called _Haru_ looked at Rin curiously, searching. The kindness that showed so unguardedly on his face seemed so out of place. A month into Recruitment, Rin had watched all the kids’ smiles vanish as they came to realize the only thing ahead for them was Hell. But this one still had that expression—so foreign to Rin now.

 _How had this kid managed to keep that innocence_?

Both Yuu and that Haru-guy had backed off but were still facing each other, as if challenging the other to try and make a move.

It was definitely frustrating; Yuu had never acted like that before, so spiteful. And—considering the curious crowd gathered around them—neither had the other guy.

“Rin?! Sousuke?!” A cheery, incredulous voice chimed in. And Rin didn’t need a second glance at that unusual mop of strawberry-blond hair to know who it was.

“Kisumi?!” Both he and Sousuke called unanimously.

Now, that was a face that Rin definitely thought he’d never see again. Not only had Kisumi left for vacations with his family shortly before Rin and Sousuke met Yuu, but he had also not made it back with his family. And neither of his parents had wanted to talk about it. It was evident he had been Recruited.

Seeing that there was probably too much to talk about and to catch up, the guy with the kind expression stepped next to that Haru-guy and raised a little his hand, making everyone pay him some attention. “Maybe we should take this somewhere a bit more… private?”

This guy, almost as tall as Sousuke—massive, imposing—was suggesting to have all these questions answered somewhere private and, perhaps, _calmly_?

“Yuu?” Sousuke prompted, _care to explain a little?_

And Yuu sighed. “Guys… this is my twin brother, Haruka.”

If Rin hadn’t been so unsettled, he might have laughed.

 

**[ _Excerpt 5: This is War._**

**The Awakening had brought forth transforming animals. Transforming into beasts, unnatural and wicked.**

**These beasts were classified by the BECs into three groups according to their function within their own hierarchy.**

**These BUGs—resulting from the First Event of the Boil ( _FEB_ )—were called Mytes, Wazps, and Woorms. Their appearance had nothing to do with their categorization, though.**

**The Mytes had mutated from most herbivore animals, and fed from inorganic matter.**

**The Wazps had mutated from carnivore animals. They fed on humans and were aggressive though they seemed to avoid the children of the Phenomenon.**

**The Woorms had mutated from the largest animals, like elephants and whales. These crawled—unlike the others, which walked—and were the most aggressive. They didn't avoid the children of the Phenomenon, and if one appeared in the battle field, it was ultimately the end of the BEC teams present.]**

 

Rin was curious, incredulous, and a bit hurt that Yuu had never told them about the _other Nanase_ —there was no way Rin was going to call him by his given name, because not only had they pretty much just met, the way he had treated Yuu was unfair and rude in his opinion.

After Kisumi made them the favor of introducing both teams properly on the way to the barrack, a thickly awkward silence surrounded them.

It was only when both Teams—Rin’s and Nanase’s—were lounging inside what appeared to be Nanase’s team’s barrack that Rin addressed the small differences between Yuu and his brother.

Their faces were so annoyingly similar, except Yuu had that piercing on his lower lip and his eyes were bluish-gray, while Nanase’s were fully clear blue. Their expressions were very different; Yuu’s standard expression was somehow always impish—no matter if he was happy, angry, or sad—while Nanase’s seemed to be… expressionless, plain, a mask of indifference. It pissed Rin off, as he had no idea of how could anyone be _that stoic_. Rin wanted to change that expression of his.

But the most remarkable difference was that Yuu’s hair was waist-long while Nanase’s was very short in comparison—it barely covered his ears, but it would still swing slightly while he walked.

Rin had to shake his head lightly to ground himself. What was he thinking? Yuu was Yuu, his friend since before Recruitment, and Nanase was Nanase, a kid he’d never met before. There was no need for him to go over the differences that were glaringly obvious to each one of them.

“So, that rain… was it you, Nanase?” Rin asked, curious.

And Nanase ignored him. He fucking _ignored_ him, and Rin was ready to pop a few of this kid’s joints.

“Y-yeah! It was Haru!” Tachibana—as introduced by Kisumi—answered in Nanase’s stead, fidgeting a little. “Haru is a Sprite, his elemental manipulation is water,” he continued, as a way to fill the awkward silence and ward off the dense pressure Rin’s anger had filled the space with.

Yuu sulked—arms crossed over his chest, a deep frown, and a predictable pout—while sitting on the other side of Sousuke, who had placed himself between Rin and Yuu, on the bunk opposite to the Nanase team. It was a good arrangement, since both Rin and Yuu were the type to snap at each other when angry, even if the other was not at fault. And given the fact that Nanase was the one pissing Rin off, _another Nanase_ could do the trick.

And Rin was definitely no stranger to trying to strangle Yuu.

“Wait,” Sousuke cut in. “Nanase’s a Sprite?”

Both Tachibana and Kisumi nodded. Of course Sousuke was surprised; Sprites were as rare as being able to see the sunset—almost nil.

Sousuke snorted. “This moron over here,” he pointed at Yuu, “is a Sprite, too.”

Kisumi laughed. “Yeah, we noticed.”

“Well, it’s hard not to notice someone flying around, engulfed in flames,” Makoto added with a chuckle. “By the way, how come your clothes aren’t charred?”

“…they’re heat-resistant,” Yuu mumbled. “And Rin’s are both heat-resistant _and_ thicker, that way they don’t blow away when Rin pulls off his Red Matter _shit_.”

“Oi!”

Sousuke elbowed Yuu lightly. _Don’t poke the bear, it’ll bite your head off._

“Red Matter?” It was Tachibana’s turn to ask.

“Yep. That’s my manipulation!” Rin answered eagerly. It wasn’t so often that he got to talk about his Ability. “I’m a rare jewel, you see,” he smirked. “When I got Recruited, they had to invent my Ability classification. I am, as far as we know, the only Chemist in Japan.”

“…Idiot show-off.” Yuu mumbled again, and Rin reached to slap him on the back of his head.

 

**[ _Excerpt 6: Time-Bomb._**

**That first wave of the Awakening had also transformed a few humans.**

**Those Awoken humans were mindless and clumsy, wandering everywhere outside the Domes and, later, the Walls, getting eaten by the other Awoken animals without so much of a grunt.**

**Those who witnessed it were highly disgusted and disgruntled.**

**It made no sense.**

**Mankind’s pride: the human brain. Reduced to a mushy pile of goo inside the rotting skulls of thoughtless zombies with no recollection of their own past nor a single shred of mental process. These zombies were only moving based on spinal-basic reflexes: breathing, hunger, and weak attempts to feed, flinching upon pain, the swing of their arms and legs in order to walk.**

**It was depressing that animals had become more… interesting, so to speak, than humans.**

**[** INDISCERNIBLE DATA **]**

**It was called the Second Awakening.]**

 

Nanase was ticking Rin off more than Yuu—something almost impossible, unheard of.

Silently leaving in the middle of their getting-to-know-each-other in the barrack, going off Hell knows where and disappearing for a solid three hours, which only meant that when the BUGs struck again, his Team couldn’t go out.

What was the point of being _in_ a Team if you _weighed it down_?!

Rin decided to track Nanase down and give him a piece of his mind.

As soon as he was able to dislodge himself from the group, Rin darted towards the areas he thought Nanase would be, such as the Training Rooms, the cafeteria, the showers that happened to be in—cough, are they _fucking already?_ Smart, Rin, smart— _use_ , the other barracks… yet, he seemed nowhere to be found.

How did someone disappear from the face of the Earth so easily? _On Rin’s watch_?

…There was _probably_ one place.

And if Rin was right, and Nanase’s habits had anything to do with his Ability, just like everyone else… well, it had the chance to be the only real option. Of course, only after having checked out the showers. And if this Base had one to begin with.

The _pool room_. The only place that wasn’t supposed to be an official part of the Bases, but some had one anyway.

Taking into count that most Bases had a similar configuration, Rin decided to give his gut a chance and follow it to where it might lead.

The path to the pool room was actually very inconspicuous. Between the showers area and the fifth and sixth Training rooms, stood the Maintenance Area door bearing the “Entry Forbidden” sign. Anyone would think that Rin was headed to one of those two Training rooms. And given the fact that not many waited in line to get into one, no one would figure out that he was headed to a restricted area.

It was because of these factors that the knowledge of there even being a pool room located within Base was almost non-existent. Only the higher-ups and the maintenance crew—civilians who kept in check the air filters, water pumps, electrical grid, and sewers—knew of it. Of course, there were very few soldiers who happened to find out of its existence by wandering— _sneaking_ —into the Maintenance Area.

Nanase probably found out thanks to his water sense, or some shit like that. Rin was the curious and adventurous type, the kind that breached a lock just to figure out what the hell was on the other side.

And what better to use as a lock pick than his Black Matter—his third type of Matter? If anyone asked Rin, he would say he was some sort of prodigy. The kind that was born once every gazillion years or so.

Rin followed the steps down on his left, then a narrow hallway extending to the right with no lighting system or windows to closed double doors at the end, to the left. Soft bluish light seeped from beneath the double doors and muted wet sounds reached Rin’s ears—sounds of water swirling, of someone swimming.

He reached for the handle and pulled one door open, just enough to squeeze through. The sight was no different from the pool back at Samezuka; low ceiling, no windows, blinking bulbs embedded into the ceiling and in the pool liner, one long bench extending from the doors to the wall, six starting blocks on the side of the pool closest to the doors and bench.

The one difference was that no one else was swimming, besides Nanase. And Rin had never in his life seen someone swim the way Nanase did.

Elegant and fluid, as if instead of pushing through the water, the water itself was opening space for Nanase to glide through. Like a bird soaring through the air. Effortless.

It made Rin feel the need, an earth-shattering pull, to jump in and swim beside Nanase. But he would most likely make a fool of himself by skinny dipping while still in less-than-friendly terms with him. He had to change that animosity.

“Nice form, Nanase.” Rin called, after a few seconds of putting himself together.

If Nanase heard, he gave no indication. And it only added to the aggravation Rin had felt earlier. _Why do you keep ignoring me?!_

There had to be something that could get to him, but _what_? Considering he was a water freak, whether his Ability had anything to do with it or not, it was probable that the only way for Rin to reduce the distance between them was to do something water related.

“I’m so gonna beat your ass in a race. Next time I’m bringing my stuff,” Rin proclaimed, speaking louder.

Nanase sunk below the surface, as if trying to block out Rin’s voice. It made Rin want to blast him out of the pool.

Rin sighed, and almost immediately an idea struck him. “Have you ever swum outside? Y’know, the ocean? I’ve read it was quite the experience. If it’s you, I’m sure you could clean it, with that Ability of yours.”

At first, it seemed like Rin hadn’t been heard; however, Nanase slowly swam back to the surface.

“Not interested in you using me.”

 _Well, ain’t he rude._ “That’s not what I mean. If anyone needs fun, it’s you, Nanase; you need to unlodge that stick that’s up your ass and let go, damn it. Though having fun myself, is a bonus. I bet you’ve never even left on a mission.”

Nanase seemed irritated as he looked away. “…No. Now leave.”

 _Oh, nope. You’re not off the hook._ “You’re missing out on so many things! I’m sure we can find a nice place, or make it with everyone else.” Rin was nearly flailing. Why was he so desperate? It was something not even Rin could understand.

“No.” Nanase started to sink again.

Rin wanted to strangle him. “WAIT!”

Blue eyes flashed back to him in surprise at the outburst.

Composing himself, Rin coughed. “If… if you come with me,” he said, steeling his resolve, “I’ll show you a sight you’ve never seen before.” Rin grinned, one last desperate push.

If there was one thing that Rin could have never predicted, was that his ‘charm’ had no effect on Nanase. He went back to sinking.

Rin felt like kicking a starting block, but it would hurt, and he definitely didn’t like pain.

“I’ll think about it.”

Huh?

Rin looked back up, back to Nanase, but he had already completely sunk and was swimming near the bottom of the pool.

Had Rin imagined it? _Thump, thump, thump_ , he felt his heart beating hard against his ribcage.

The grin blossomed back on Rin’s mouth and, elated, he pumped a fist in the air as he turned to leave the pool room.

However, his cocky grin disappeared almost instantaneously after leaving.

Swiftly evading all possible detection by civilians in the restricted area and nearly running, Rin headed to the fifth Training Room, the only place that might leave him have a few moments to himself.

It was only after the door closed that Rin’s body relaxed, slumping against the wall and placing his elbows on his knees, head hanging low.

Slowly, heat crawled up to his face. Body trembling, Rin covered it with both hands and pressed hard in an attempt to muffle an embarrassingly high-pitched grumble.

 _I fucked up_ , his flustered mind provided. _This is not what I wanted to do. I seriously fucked up_.

 

**[ _Excerpt 7: Capricorn._**

**After the FEB, it took about forty years for the First Awakening to occur.**

**However, after the Second Event of the Boil ( _SEB_ ), the BUGs mutated further and the categorization that had been used prior to it fell useless and primitive. And since the Common Language was also quite a hit, the words learnt from it bled into the cultures themselves. As such, words from other countries began to be used into the naming of the monsters.**

**The Second Awakening and consequent Second Mutation of the already Awoken took place five years after the SEB.**

**The BUGs were re-categorized into Er Gui, Ekek, and Bashe.**

**The Er Gui (from the Chinese mythology, _hungry ghosts_ ), called that because they craved to feed from inorganic matter and were bent on eating through the Bases and the Walls. These had mutated from the Mytes. They defended themselves with their sheer numbers and powerful jaws that dripped with acid saliva.**

**The Ekek (from the Philippine mythology, _flesh-eating, winged beasts_ ), which had evolved from the Wazps, were the monsters that fed from people, and no longer shied away from the children of the Phenomenon. They were fewer than the Er Gui, but compensated with their aggressiveness. If it were an ant colony, the Ekek would be the soldier ants defending and directing the worker ants—the Er Gui. Some sprouted membranous wings, others didn’t, but land dwelling didn’t make them any less dangerous. Especially with their sting, which was a modified bone coated with their acidic blood, venomous at contact. It was imperative to avoid being harmed with the sting. Their sting was probably a former femur, according to some scientists, or an enlarged coccyx bone, to others, and some even said it was a modified sternum. However, they had originally been different animals, so maybe all the scientists were right.**

**And the Bashe (from the Chinese mythology, _elephant-swallowing serpents_ ).**

**The only information the BECs had on them—beside knowing that these had mutated from the Woorms—was that they were _extremely aggressive,_ far more than they previously were, cannibalistic, and no one, _no one_ , would want to cross paths with one. Not even soldiers.]**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M SORRY IT'S BEEN IDK HOW MANY MONTHS SINCE I POSTED THE FIRST CHAPTER, my brain's been a bitch, drowning in anxiety, depression, stress, and the usual laziness. I hope the length of this chapter somehow makes up to it.
> 
> Now let's address the issue at hand:  
> -This chapter has been brought to you by both Hazuki Nagisa's and Tachibana Makoto's imagination. Meaning, Haru's twin + Captain Haruka.  
> -This chapter will most likely be the only one to have this much focus on Yuu-chan. As much as I love this son of mine ~~(or projection of myself, though I'm not as bold, but just as irreverent)~~ , the _true stars_ of this fic are -drums- **THE SHOUJO IDIOTS** AKA **RIN AND HARU!!!!** Yuu-chan is just a tool for me to take the focus from side characters and redirect it to Rinrin and Haru-chan. That's it. And this is pretty much an introductory chapter, thus the focus on everyone.  
>  -I'm sorry if he isn't of your liking, but I hope you can overlook my faults and enjoy the story, which has a looooot in store. I'll make sure Yuu-chan's parts can be easily skipped, though!  
> -Please, pleasepleasePLEASE, tell me what you think, an author thrives on feedback!  
>  ~~-Today's my birthday so be nice.~~
> 
> Remember~ Ambiguity is intentionaaaal~
> 
> [EDIT]  
> I decided that FUCK IT, I'm gonna let my son be free! Of course, this is a RH fic, so Yuu is only a secondary character, no matter how you look at it. So if anyone's interested in him and his story (along with all the other secondary characters), I'll be doing a side-fic, where I'll probably be answerings some questions that might arise in this fic ~~(hopefully there won't be need for that, and I'll be able to focus on Yuu bc he's my son and I love him). I'm sorry if it feels a bit like a Mary Sue (or Mike Sue?? W/e), I just really wanted to share this story.~~


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